Abstract
A System-wide Initiative to Address Upstream Factors Relative to Childhood Trauma and its Impact on Health
Jay Orr, JD1, Sarah Mack, MPH2 and Ariane Marie-Mitchell, MD, MPH, PhD3
(1)County of Riverside, Riverside, CA, (2)Riverside University Health System - Public Health, Riverside, CA, (3)Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA
APHA 2017 Annual Meeting & Expo (Nov. 4 - Nov. 8)
The County of Riverside (COR) has developed a system-wide initiative to mitigate the impact of childhood and later traumas on population health. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the accumulation of traumatic events, large and small, throughout childhood and adolescence, has been shown to contribute to a wide array of undesirable health outcomes both in the short and long term, ranging from acute and chronic diseases to substance abuse and mental health conditions that can both shorten and reduce the quality of life. Resilience to trauma at the individual level and mitigation of conditions that produce traumatic events are focal points of the COR Resilience Initiative. The initiative originated out of the office of the County’s CEO and is coordinated through the Department of Public Health. A Planning Committee consists of leadership from the Riverside University Health System’s Departments of Public Health, Community Care Centers, Medical Center, and Behavioral Health, as well as key units in other related sectors of county government, including Public Social Services, Child Services, Housing, Transportation, and Public Safety. Also represented is leadership from the Riverside County Department of Education, major colleges and universities in the region, insurance providers, and the County Board of Supervisors. An analysis has been completed of system components and relevant data to address the problem, and a road-map or master plan for integration across these components and data sources is under development, including identification of “hot spots” across communities for prioritization.
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education Chronic disease management and prevention Other professions or practice related to public health Program planning Social and behavioral sciences